Hi there
Although this is more of a vocabulary question I've always been wondering what's the difference between these two.
I was looking all around the Web but couldn't find an answer.
Let me express the way I see it:
- inquiry - mostly used in British English and usually means a question regarding specific features of an item sold in a shop
- question - just anything else in similar fashion.
The reason I'm asking for this is, I'm just starting to build my own e-commerce store and translating it into English. And knowing the difference would be handy!
Inquiry vs question
Moderator: Josef Essberger
-
John V55
- Top Contributor
- Posts: 476
- Joined: 02 Apr 2015, 01:34
- Status: Teacher
Re: Inquiry vs question
Off the top of my head, in the UK we would use ‘question’ for a specific reason, i.e., ‘how much does that cost’?
In general usage an ‘inquiry’ would delve further and would want to know where it was made, how heavy is it, what other colours does it come in . . .
However, having said that, they’re interchangeable, as in, ‘I’d like to inquire how much that item costs,’ or ‘can I question you at length about that five minute speech’.
An inquiry would be seen to be more specific and detailed than a single question.
In general usage an ‘inquiry’ would delve further and would want to know where it was made, how heavy is it, what other colours does it come in . . .
However, having said that, they’re interchangeable, as in, ‘I’d like to inquire how much that item costs,’ or ‘can I question you at length about that five minute speech’.
An inquiry would be seen to be more specific and detailed than a single question.
Personal political satire blog: https://johnvasiateacherblog.forumotion.com
-
thomas598brown
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 10 Mar 2025, 11:41
- Status: Other
Re: Inquiry vs question
Hello,niserin wrote: ↑02 Jun 2015, 20:37 Hi there
Although this is more of a vocabulary question I've always been wondering what's the difference between these two.
I was looking all around the Web but couldn't find an answer.
Let me express the way I see it:
- inquiry - mostly used in British English and usually means a question regarding specific features of an item sold in a shop
- question - just anything else in similar fashion.
The reason I'm asking for this is, I'm just starting to build my own e-commerce store and translating it into English. And knowing the difference would be handy!
"Inquiry" is often used in British English to mean a formal investigation or request for information. "Question" is more general and can refer to any request for information. For your e-commerce store, using "inquiry" for formal or specific requests and "question" for general inquiries is a good approach.
Best regards,
Thomas Brown